2025.04.21 Jenks PC Special Hearing | Downtown Masterplan 6PM

This past Sunday, a special hearing was held to discuss the downtown master plan for Jenks. The meeting, which kicked off at 6 PM, focused on presenting initial concepts and gathering feedback from the community. The goal is to transform the downtown area into a more vibrant and economically robust destination.

Key Takeaways

• Market Analysis Highlights Gaps: The current commercial offerings in downtown Jenks aren't meeting the demand from population growth, limiting economic opportunities and vibrancy.
• Connectivity Issues: There's a lack of walkable infrastructure connecting downtown to the riverfront, hindering mobility and the visitor experience.
• Family-Friendly Amenities Needed: Beyond existing attractions like the aquarium, there's a shortage of amenities to support visitors before and after their main activities.
• Stakeholder Input: Feedback from local businesses, property owners, and community members is vital for addressing concerns and guiding implementation.
• Demographic Trends: Jenks is experiencing significant population growth, with a strong draw from its school system, but there's a need to bridge the gap between new and long-term residents.
• Riverfront Potential: The Arkansas River presents a major opportunity to position Jenks as a unique riverfront destination.
• Development Opportunities: Key areas for growth include office space, retail, housing, and entertainment.
• Challenges: Limited land availability, parking issues, and potential barriers from rising property values need to be addressed.

Understanding the Current Landscape

The initial phase of the master plan involved extensive data gathering and analysis. This included looking at the current supply of retail, multifamily housing, and hotel options in downtown Jenks. Consultants also engaged with local stakeholders and national retailers to identify opportunities for both improving existing spaces and introducing new developments.

A key part of the analysis involved understanding why residents might leave Jenks for adjacent communities and how new developments could recapture that spending. Case studies from other cities, both comparable and aspirational, were reviewed to understand successful development strategies and the role of the public sector in catalyzing growth.

Identifying Opportunities and Challenges

The study pinpointed several key opportunities for downtown Jenks:

• Improving Walkability and Reducing Congestion: Enhancing pedestrian infrastructure, implementing traffic calming measures, and improving downtown accessibility are priorities to boost foot traffic.
• Enhancing Riverfront Connectivity: Transforming the areas between downtown and the riverfront to create a seamless connection and a stronger sense of place for visitors and residents.
• Vertical Development for Density: Optimizing land use by developing a mix of uses, such as office, multifamily, and ground-floor retail or restaurants, to create a denser, more vibrant downtown core.

However, several challenges were also identified:

• Public and Community Buy-In: Proactive engagement with property owners, stakeholders, and the broader community is crucial for addressing concerns and ensuring successful implementation.
• Land Availability: Limited available land in downtown Jenks requires strategic planning and prioritization of developments that offer both economic return and community benefit.
• Time to Completion: Some initiatives can be achieved in the short term (within five years), while others require a longer-term vision and sustained commitment.

Market Trends and Development Recommendations

The analysis revealed several key market trends and development opportunities:

• Office Space: A shift towards smaller, flexible, high-quality office spaces with amenities, rather than large-scale buildings, is evident post-COVID.
• Retail Market: Downtown Jenks has a strong retail market with low vacancy and high rental rates, with expectations for continued growth.
• Housing Demand: There's a high demand for new housing due to population growth, indicating a shortage of available units.
• Entertainment Offerings: Expanding entertainment options, such as live performance venues and more dining choices, can further enhance the visitor experience and encourage longer stays.
• Hotel Development: Future demand for hotel development is anticipated as downtown continues to grow with more entertainment, retail, and dining options.

Based on these findings, the following recommendations were made for Phase One (1-5 years):

• Office Development: Approximately 50,000 square feet of high-quality, amenity-rich office space, including co-working areas.
• Restaurant and Retail: An additional 40,000 square feet of retail space, offering a mix of dining and boutique retail.
• Housing: Approximately 150 multifamily units and at least 25 townhomes to address the housing shortage.
• Hotel: An 80-key boutique hotel to accommodate increased tourism.

Additional recommendations include developing family-friendly entertainment, creating public plazas with green space, adding bike stands and public charging stations, and maximizing the use of existing meeting and event spaces.

Implementation and Future Vision

The development timeline projects completion by 2028, with stabilization of assets by 2032. The long-term impact analysis estimates significant economic benefits, including substantial city tax revenue, increased spending, and job creation. The plan emphasizes a public-private partnership approach to attract developers and fund these initiatives.

Discussions also touched upon improving streetscapes, such as implementing bulb-outs at intersections for pedestrian safety and exploring options like parallel parking to widen sidewalks and create more inviting public spaces. The potential for a trolley system to connect key destinations like the outlet mall and the aquarium was also raised as a way to alleviate traffic and parking concerns.

Community engagement is a critical component, with plans for public input sessions at upcoming events. The importance of branding and developing a cohesive identity for Jenks was also highlighted as a key factor in attracting investment and fostering community buy-in. The overall goal is to create a more dynamic, walkable, and economically vibrant downtown that serves the needs of its growing community.